Contractions with per and per a

Level 3

Per + el becomes pel, and per + els becomes pels.

How It Works

Contract the preposition and masculine article when both appear together: caminem pel carrer, passem pels jardins. The contraction does not change the noun's meaning or introduce a plural by itself; pels contains plural els.

Per a + el contracts only its final a and article, giving per al; its plural is per als. Compare pel parc, a route through the park, with per al jardí, something intended for the garden. The two constructions do not have the same number of underlying prepositions.

Before l', retain the preposition sequence required by the meaning: per l'entrada describes a route, while per a l'escola marks intended destination or use. Spoken varieties differ in their per/per a distinction. In the careful written model used here, preserving the distinction before noun phrases makes these roles explicit without imposing an oversimple rule on every infinitive construction.

Examples (3)

  1. Passem pel pont.

    We pass over the bridge.

  2. Aquest llibre és per al curs.

    This book is for the course.

  3. He comprat material per a l'escola.

    I have bought supplies for the school.

How It Connects

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Contractions with per and per aLevel 3

Learn This First

Recognize per plus article contractions. Distinguish recipient per a from route or cause per.

Words in This Pattern

pels